In June 1995, BHP announced that it would build a Hot Briquetted Iron
(HBI) plant and associated beneficiation, materials handling and
infrastructure facilities at Port Hedland, Western Australia. This plant, the
first direct reduction plant in Australia, will convert beneficiated iron ore
fines into metallic iron for briquetting into HBI. The reduction plant will
be based on the FINMET fluid bed technology jointly developed by Fior
de Venezuela and Voest-Alpine Industrienlagenbau. Electric Arc Furnace
steelmakers in the Asia Pacific region will be the principal customers for
the product. This paper presents an overview of the facilities to be constructed by
the project as well as discussing some particular technology and design
engineering issues associated with the project.